Amusement device



T. J. HEM. v AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, I918.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

3 SHEETS SHEET 1- (1 ot mz 1 0,

T. J. CHHUL.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.I2.1918.

1,320,124., Patented Oct. 28,1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- atfoznegm T. J. CHRUL.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. APPL ICATION FILED APR. I2. I918.

1,320,124. Patented Oct. 28,1919.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- TEOFIL JOHN CHRUL, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed April 12,. 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnorn. JOHN CHRUL, a citizen of the Republic of Poland, residing 'at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices and has particular reference to an apparatus for launching a car or boat, from an inclined trackway for the purpose of amusing the occupants of the car or boat.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for a trackway of boat or car, whereby the car may be elevated; then allowed to descend by gravity and launched from the lower end of the trackway, making a flight through space, and landing in a body of water, and then returned to the trackway to discharge and take on passengers before repeating the operation.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1, shows in side elevation the improved railway structure with the car or boat thereon.

Fig. 2, illustrates the same in topplan.

Fig. 3, shows, on an enlarged scale and in side elevation, the lower discharge-end of the inclined railway together with the improved means for adjusting said end.

Fig. 4:, illustrates the same in top plan.

, Fig. 5, shows the adjustable dischargeend of the railway in front elevation.

Fig. 6, illustrates a detail of the lower end of the elevating chain and the bow-end of the car or boat each with a device to engage the other so as to pull the car or boat up the railway.

Fig. 7, shows a portion of the trackway with the improved car or boat thereon,the latter being shown in side elevatlon.

Fig. 8, illustrates the same in top plan, and

Fig. 9, shows the same in vertical crosssection.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a railway structure 10, having two inclined trackways 11 and 12, whose upper ends are connected by a curved trackway portion 13.

This railway structure is to be erected on the bank 14, of a lake, stream or other body of water 15, with the lower ends of the in- Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 228,257.

clined trackways projecting beyond the ,bank and intoor over the body of water.

In the present instance the inclined trackway 11, has its lower end 16, slightly flared and extending beneath the surface of the water 15, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and this trackway portion 11, is utilized to receive the car or boat from the water and up which'said car or boat is conveyed to the elevated curved portion 13. A conveyer Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

chain 17, passing over pulleys 18 and 19,

and driven through a shaft 20, and driving cha n 21, by a motor in the housing 22, is utllized to pull the car or boat up the in cline 11.

The trackway 12, is utilized to guide the car or boat from the elevated portion 13,

downward, which is effected by gravity,

and to launch the same over the body of water as it leaves the lower end 23, of said inclined trackway. 12. The lower launching end of this trackway is constructed in a novel manner, as will now be explained, reference being made to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive of the drawings.

At the lower end, each rail 24;, of the trackway 12, sustains the inner end of a flexible rail support. In this instancethis flexible rail support is formed, or made up of a series of links 25, on the upper side of which there is secured a rail plate 26, and to the under side of which there is attached a supporting bar or plate 27. The rail plate 26, has its inner end 28, secured to the lower ends of the rigid rails 24, while its outer end 29, is free, and the inner end 30, of the supporting bar or plate 27, is simply attached to one of the links 25, while its outer end 31, is turned down and rigidly secured to a vertically adjustable frame 32, that is sustained over the body of water.

By reference to Figs. 34 and 5, it will be seen that a pier or foundation 33, projects from and above thewater and that a horizontal bearing plate 34:, is sustained on top of the pier. This bearing plate is provided with two vertical bearings 35, which sustain vertically-extending threaded shafts 36, and the upper ends of these shafts screw into interiorly-threaded sockets 37, that are formed rigidly with the adjustable frame 32. One shaft 36, has a right hand thread thereon while the other has a left hand thread, and each shaft is provided with a horizontal worm gear 38.

A worm shaft 39, extends from the bank out over the water to the bearing plate and has its outer end sustained in centrally located horizontal bearings 40, on said plate, and a worm 41, on said shaft and between the gears 38, meshes with both of the latter.

By means of this arrangement of gears and shafts, I may by the rotation of shaft 39, revolve the horizontal gears 38, and vertical shafts 36, and through the arrange ment of right and left hand threads on the shafts 36, elevate or lower the adjustable frame 32. By thus raising or lowering the frame 32, I may effect such variation in the curvature of the flexible launching end of the trackway as to vary the projection of the car or boat from the trackway so as to impart to the car or boat a more or less flight before it alights on the water,

The inner end of the worm shaft 39, may be operated in any suitable manner but in the present instance I employ a worm gear 42, and a screw 43, operated by a hand wheel '44, to effect this operation.

By reference to Figs. 127 and 9, it

will be noted that the inclined trackway portion 12, is provided with a stationary rack-bar 45, the purpose of which will presently be described.

The boat or car utilized in connection with trackway has special features of construction including features, whereby to enable it to be launched through space before dropping into the water, as will now be explained, reference being made particularly to Figs. 78 and 9 of the drawings.

The body 46, of the car or boat has the general outline and shape of a small boat and has a bow 47, and a stern 48, with a rudder 49, that is operated through flexible connections, such as wires 50, that extend forward to a steering post 51, located in the bow. A hand wheel 52, on the steering post facilitates the operation of the latter.

At each side, the body 46, carries a horizontal supporting plane 53, which extends from how to stern, and which projects laterally from the longitudinal sides. The planes are preferably inclined slightly from bow to stern,the forward ends being slightly higher than the stern ends, and braces or brackets 54, sustain the planes from the sides of the body.

The upper side of each plane 53, carries two spaced-apart vertical brackets 55, and small adjustable planes 56, are mounted between said brackets. By adjusting these upper planes 56, variations in the flight and landing of the body on the water may be effected.

Flanged rollers 57, are mounted on the opposite sides of the body 46, and are so located as to track with and roll upon the rails of the trackway.

I also provide the car or boat with a propeller 58, which in this instance is carried on a shaft 59, that projects from the bow of the body. This propeller shaft is actuated through a spring motor 60, of any well known form, which is wound through the revolution of a worm shaft 61, that projects from the side of body, and which car ries a pinion 62, on its outer end. The pinion 62, is so located on the body that when the car or boat travels down the inclined trackway portion 12,-the pinion will engage and be revolved by the rack 45, on the trackway, thereby winding the motor as the car travels by gravity down the incline. A band brake 63, serves to hold the motor in the wound condition until the operator releases the same after the car or boat has alighted 011 the water, and through the operation of the propeller, the car or boat will be propelled through the water and steered back to the flared lower end 16, of the trackway portion 11, up] which the car is conveyed.

From the foregoing explanation it is believed the operation of the apparatus will be readily understood. a

The body 46, of the car or boat is provided with a lug-plate 64, while the conveyer chain 17, has a series of lugs 65, thereon whereby the latter may engage the former and pull the car or boat up the incline 11.

Having described my invention, what I claim is,-

1. The combination with a trackway having two inclines which are connected at their higher ends, of conveyer means traveling froin the lower to the higher end of one incline; motor winding means extending along the other of said inclines; a wheeled body movable on said trackway motor means on the body and means movable with the body for engaging the motor-winding means.

2. The combination with a trackway having two inclines which are connected at their higher ends and the lower end of one of which is elevated with respect to the lower end of the other, of conveyer means traveling from the lower to the higher end of one of said inclines; means for adjusting the higher of the two lower incline ends and a wheeled body to travel on said trackway.

3. The combination with a trackway having two inclines with a connection between the higher ends thereof,the lower end of one incline being lower than the other, of conveyer means adjacent to the incline having the lower end; means for adjusting the higher of the two lower incline-ends with respect to the lower of said two ends, and a wheeled body to travel on said trackway and be projected into space frolm the said higher of the two inclineenc s.

4. The combination with a trackway having and incline down which a wheeled body may travel by gravity, of stationary motor-winding means along said trackway; a wheeled body to travel on said trackway; motor means on the body and means carried by the body to engage the stationary winding means along the trackway.

5. The combination with a trackway having an incline down which a wheeled body may travel by gravity, of means for adjustably sustaining the lower end of said incline; means above the adjustable end of the incline for winding a motor; a wheeled body to travel on said trackway; a motor on the body and means carried by the body and connected with said motor for engaging the winding means on the inclined trackway as the body travels down the latter.

6. The combination with a trackway having an incline down which a wheeled body may travel by gravity, of a stationary rack extending along the incline; a wheeled body to travel on said trackway; a motor on the said body; gear means carried on the body and located to engage and be driven by the stationary rack on the incline as the body travels down the latter and propeller means operated by the motor.

7. The combination with an inclined trackway, of a series of supporting links at the lower end of each rail of the trackway; a flexible rail plate attached to said linlrs and means for vertically adjusting the ends of the supporting links.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

TEOFIL JOHN CHRUL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

